Anchoring – Page 2 – Survive Your Job In Television News

What Does “Taking Ownership Of Your Newscast” Mean?

TV news is full of expressions that can be confusing or thrown around lightly. The term “taking ownership of your newscast” is not a term to be taken lightly but can be confusing to producers and anchors. So let’s delve in to what this term means to management and your reputation in the industry.

Let’s start with what it means for producers. “Taking ownership,” is essentially making it clear “the buck stops here” with decisions made for the newscast. In truth, the buck usually stops with an EP or other manager. But the expectation is that the producer will fall on the sword and take full responsibility for decisions made. This is confusing, and frankly at times unfair. It is expected though. So when the ND calls the booth during or after the newscast and asks why the heck such and such story did or did not make air, the last answer the boss wants to hear is “the EP told me to do it.” It doesn’t matter if that’s the reality. The ND wants a reason. He/she wants to know there was some thought put into the rundown. So tell them the reason:

“We thought it was significant because of where it happened.”

“We wanted to add more new stories.”

“We were not able to confirm key facts, but I am happy to help do that now, so the next newscast can air the story.”

These are the phrases the ND wants to hear. Now a little secret to make you feel better: The EP will get the same question, and will then get the litany of reasons why the thinking needs to change. You, the producer, may or may not get that list of reasons. But be sure, the EP will also be questioned.

Taking ownership also means doing all you can to prevent messes and come up with quick solutions when a mistake happens. This is more than factual issues. If your anchor always stumbles on the scripts in the back half of the newscast, you are expected to implement possible solutions to stop the issue. Yes, you the producer. No, you are not the one stumbling. It is still partly your responsibility as the show boss. If master control never gets live shots tuned in on time, it is partly your responsibility to come up with plans to change that pattern. Taking ownership means being the leader of the show, the show boss, the one who takes responsibility when things go wrong. Consider this a chance to get a taste of what upper management is like. Yes, you will have to have a thick skin. Yes, sometimes what you are being lectured about you probably cannot really change. However, you should offer solutions and try them. This will earn you high praise and respect.

Now anchors. Taking ownership of your newscast means sitting down with the EP and newscast producers, regularly, and hearing what issues there are with the newscasat. Do you need to get more men watching the newscast? Help brainstorm ideas. Are the EP and producer at their wits end trying to make sure master control tunes in live shots on time? Perhaps mention to the ND, the next time you are talking, that your EP and producer are busting it trying to fix the problem, but could use some backup. Is a certain reporter killing the meters by constantly fudging the total running time for their package or going SUPER long every live shot? Pull them aside, compliment what you like about their work and ask a favor: Could they trim those live intros next time or call in the actual total running time. Taking ownership means showing support and providing public backing for the producer and EP. If you have philosophy differences, take those issues up behind closed doors. And when there is breaking news, sometimes skip dinner break and sit down and help the assignment desk make phone calls or help the producer write copy. You are the leader of morale for the newscast whether you like the role or not. As the face of the show, you are the image leader. So the more involved you become by partnering with the show boss, the more you will be respected as a natural leader. That reputation can really send your career skyrocketing

Taking ownership of your newscast means you are showing the bosses and your peers that you are ready to take on key responsibilities. You are a leader, not a trouble maker. You believe in the product and the people executing it each day. A reputation for being a team player and someone who is not afraid to make a decision will quickly earn you respect in the industry. This is one of the best ways to ensure your future success and increase your job stability. Even if there are layoffs, the people who take ownership are the ones who have managers working behind the scenes to get them placed in even bigger and better jobs instead of just shown the door. Time and again, these simple efforts will reap large rewards for you. The biggest of which is loyalty. Something that is increasingly hard to come by in the world today. So go ahead, take ownership of that newscast. You owe it to yourself and the team around you.

He Got More Air Time: Decoding The Read Counter

When a producer sent me an email about this issue, I had to shake my head a little. Been there a couple of times. I could just see the anchor that used to count the number of stories lecturing me again. I also could see the anchor that used to count how much time reading she got versus her co-anchor handing me a list that tracked a one week period. She was shocked when I stared at her in disbelief. In a week’s time, the cumulative amount differed by less than a minute. Seriously? This is what she worried about?

Here’s the deal. Anchor reads will never be completely even. It just isn’t possible. There are tricks to get them pretty darn close though. I will explain those in a minute. First I want to talk about this “read counting” mentality. Read counters, who base their worth on how often they are on the air, versus their co-anchor create all kinds of problems. The biggest negative impacts: Themselves and other anchors. Here’s why. When a producer sees that you spend your time counting the seconds to make sure you get your face time, you are telling that producer that all you care about is being on TV. That is simply the truth. In fact, my read counter actually said to me, “My audience needs to see me more than my co-anchor. They count on seeing me. I just know I am a bigger draw than her. You must want her to be the draw and not me.” How does a producer, who cares about getting crucial information out to the viewer place confidence in that mentality? It made it very hard to trust that if I gave him breaking news, he would use due diligence to make sure the information was correct. He also was the only anchor in the shop to pitch a fit if he actually had to go “in the field” to turn a story unless he deemed it glamorous. This example is not unique. Producers talk. We love to tell each other who the read counter is. That’s the person you never hand the big breaker. That’s the person you avoid at all costs. That’s the anchor whose critiques often fall on deaf ears. Fair or not, that’s what happens. The stigma is there. You only care about face time, not being a thorough and complete journalist.

Now, let’s address the time counter. The producer who emailed me gave the example of an anchor saying “ My co-anchor had 1:15 in reads, I had :50 seconds.” This simply screams, “I love my face time. I need all the face time. Look at me I’m on TV!” Look, obviously all anchors like a little face time. If you hated it, you would not be on TV. But again, this sends the message that you care more about being recognized out and about town than being a solid journalist. Not the reputation you want in a newsroom, period. Time counters are considered petty, arrogant and superficial. It just makes you look bad.

Now the kicker, for all the other anchors who are solid journalists. Because of read and time counters, producers often get defensive about reads. So when there is a legitimate issue, like one anchor being written out of 7 minutes in the a-block, that anchor may not raise a red flag for fear of being labeled “high maintenance.” There are times, when there are legitimate issues with reads. Newbie producers often make this mistake until they get enough of a handle on designing the rundown, timing it correctly and making deadlines. That’s a long wait for the anchors who just don’t want to disappear for big chunks of news blocks.

So here’s the solution. First, producers should trade off who leads the newscast, and each block. For example, let’s take Joe and Amy. On Monday, Joe leads the a-block, Amy the b-block and on down the line. If you have an hour long show, have Joe lead the a-block Monday, then Amy leads the 30 block. Switch on Tuesday. Repeat. This only takes a second to do, and really helps make the reads appear even. The second part to creating even reads is to try and make sure the anchor reads change every two minutes or so. If you have a package that is 2:30, the anchor who introduced it should read the tag. If it is a long tag, do it on a two shot to re-establish team as long as the next story is not a rough transition. If you have a rough transition before the two minute time is up, switch then and get back to the other anchor within two minutes. Of course, you can’t make it every two minutes on the nose, but it is a good approximate time to keep in mind.

So there you have it. That’s why read counters do what they do. That’s what it means and how to stave it off. If you are a read counter, and your producer switches block leads and tries to change reads every two minutes or so, stop complaining. Your reputation depends on it.

I can’t believe that aired again! Why anchors complain on the set.

This makes many producers blood boil. You toil over a newscast for hours, then during the show, the anchors start complaining about and/or making fun of the copy you worked so hard on. Complaining on set during the newscasts about the show, is the number one way to create a huge divide between anchors and producers. It creates the “us vs them” mentality that causes so much friction. But there are two sides to this, and we are going to really delve into both.

That said, many of those anchors are really not trying to just be jerks. I PROMISE YOU. There are reasons behind the decision, (and it often is a decision) to complain about copy on the set during the newscast. The biggest reason, FRUSTRATION. When anchors reach the point of complaining on set, most are usually at their wits end. From their point of view, they have tried to “talk things through” and the producer/management has ignored the issue. Many veteran anchors are just tired and frustrated that they constantly have to “train newbies.” If you step back and really think about it, you can see how this can happen. One anchor I consulted with on this article says, “Even if you are not normally a complainer, when you get an anchor sitting next to you who is a little immature and starts going off, it can be very difficult not to give into the temptation and complain also. It is human nature.” Another anchor mentioned, “I worked so hard to get to this point, I don’t want to come across as clueless or even just plain stupid. Why aren’t we (anchors) protected?”

A key thing to remember, is when the anchors “mess up” and read copy that is factually incorrect or just doesn’t make sense, it isn’t just the anchor that looks stupid. The entire news operation loses credibility. Anchors are very aware that they are the poster children for the entire organization. They understand that if they come across as not credible, their job is on the line, because that lack of credibility undermines the entire station’s standing in the community. When you separate yourself from the insults, and really think about that, you can see why anchors sometimes “go off.” It is a lot of responsibility, and yet they give up control of the newscasts to producers. It is how the system works, except in rare cases. Anchors are depending on you to get the facts right, so they look credible. Yes anchors can, and most will, get into the newscast and fact check and rewrite if they notice a potential issue. But in the morning, and during breaking news that is not always possible. The anchors need the information to be correct, or at least quickly fixed if there is a problem.

Which leads to the second reason, anchors find themselves complaining on the set over a mistake. It is absolutely maddening, when they see an issue, raise the issue to the producer and then it is not corrected and airs incorrectly two and three times. Many anchors say they try to help and bring up an issue with a super, or a misspelled item on the ticker, and then it isn’t changed. The anchor doesn’t have access, and can only watch the mistake happen again and again. Remember, credibility for the entire news organization is on the line, anchors are the final gate keepers.

There also are issues in many shops where veteran anchors are told, to just read whatever is there, and let the producers do all the gate keeping. Anchors are told to stay out of the decision making and that producers rule (see Producer Driven) the roost. Problem is, often the producers are much less experienced than the anchors. No matter how smart you are, experience brings a lot of knowledge. So veteran anchors sit, wishing they could just bang their heads against the wall and watch something they could have prevented play out on the air. Excruciating!

That said, giving in to human nature and complaining on the set, diminishes respect toward you if you are one of those anchors. It sends a message that you think you are superior and fed up with the underlings. And that’s even if what you say is absolutely true. So this is where things get hard for the frustrated anchor. You need to find a different forum to vent. Maybe that’s after the show, on the phone with your co-anchor. Maybe it is at the gym working out your frustrations. Maybe it is in a meeting with the EP or AND. Just make sure you keep the conversation pro-active. Producers and managers, put ointment on the sting, and look to see if the anchor really does have a good point. If the anchor feels they have a forum to address concerns, the on set rants will eventually stop. Chances the quality of the newscast will improve as well.

Dress for Success: Your clothes define your credibility

Hey, it’s no secret, part of the fun of being a TV reporter or anchor is the great clothing you get to wear. It is fun to dress the part! But nowadays many outfits worn on air send the wrong message.

Before you start griping at me with “Hey the world is getting more casual, so should we!” hear me out. What you wear really defines you as a person and a journalist. For cold hard proof, I suggest you follow agent Micah Johnson from MediaStars on Twitter (@TV_Agent). He often throws in fashion tidbits. Recently, he tweeted about EMMY judging and had journalists debating fashion for two days. I talked with Micah about the fashion faux pas he sees on demo tapes and the dangerous consequences for your career.

Micah’s first point: Credibility. Think about the people you meet. You judge those people based on appearance. People are visual and therefore make decisions visually. Micah says, “Your wardrobe defines you, period.” So when you are putting together your demo, remember your clothing describes, “Who you are, who you perceive yourself to be and who you hope to be.” A case in point is Micah’s Twitter image. He wears a suit in it. Imagine if that picture had him in cut off blue jeans and a Hawaiian shirt. Would that make you think he could place people on the major market or network level? The same goes for you when you are on the air. Your appearance adds to your credibility in both doing your daily job and when you are job searching.

Your demo helps you showcase who you are and who you can appeal to. Think about that for a moment. Your ND’s and GM’s probably urge you to appeal to the key demos. That’s not just 25-35. The people watching the news that can afford to buy the products in the, oh so crucial, local spots are probably 40 plus. Is that sleeveless sundress you are wearing appealing to that age set? This audience is not impressed with casual dress. Even if they are starting to come to work in more polo’s and khaki’s themselves.

So what do those viewers like to see? What types of outfits make you look like a star that’s going places and too good to pass up? Micah says women should always wear bright colors and pastels. Royal purple, reds, and deep blues are vibrant and attractive to viewers. They are power colors. Remember many news sets are dark. If you wear a dark suit, you then look like a floating head. Not attractive or powerful.

We didn’t forget men. The key for you is tailored. That doesn’t mean you have to buy an expensive suit. It does mean you need to spend money getting that suit tailored to fit you. Another key, if you anchor, have the coat fitted for tailoring while sitting down. That’s how the suit will be worn most of the time. Also remember the trick William Hurt showed us during the classic TV news movie, “Broadcast News.” Sit on your coat tails for a great looking fit while on set. “That’s not just Hollywood trivia, there’s truth in that tidbit,” Micah says. What about reporters hoofing it out in the summer heat? Micah says suck it up and wear the dress shirt. His advice: A trick police officers use to stay dry when wearing their very hot uniforms and/or bullet proof vests: Baby powder and an under shirt. When you get out of the shower in the morning, put on baby powder, then a cotton under shirt, then your dress shirt. The baby powder helps wick away the sweat. Then the undershirt absorbs any sweat that makes it through the powder. It may be a little warmer than normal, but it won’t show and you’ll look the part of a professional, credible broadcaster.

Speaking of suits, when asked about fashion, plenty of women mention they hate blazers, and like wearing dresses. My favorite FB comment says suits are “so 1995.” Micah says don’t blow off suits as old school. The key is getting the tailored look, and blazers are a great way to do this. Like with men, you don’t have to buy top designers (heck most of us can’t afford it!). But you do spend money having your clothing tailored so they fit your figure. Again, if you anchor, have the fitting done while sitting down. As for sleeveless, Micah says avoid it unless you have arms like Angelina Jolie, back when she played Lara Croft in “Tomb Raider.” Remember, you want the people watching your demo to see you, not just stare at your arm flab.

His final suggestions, avoid big earrings, big necklaces and bright red lipstick. Yes, they are in the fashion magazines. But, you are not going out clubbing. You are delivering important information and actually want people to see and listen to you, not stare at your gigantic jewelry or eye popping lips. Credibility just does not mix with these things.

Still having doubts and don’t like being told what to wear? Ask yourself a key question: Am I a kick ass journalist going places? If the answer is no, then blow off this advice. But if you want to make something of yourself, remember dressing sloppy makes you look like you don’t know what you are doing, or what you want to accomplish. Dressing well, makes you look like a star!

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Thanks to Micah Johnson, with MediaStars. Check him out on Twitter @TV_Agent for all kinds of juicy morsels about TV news.